| Reading 1 | Response | Reading 2 | Gospel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ex 24:3-8 | Ps 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18 | Heb 9:11-15 | Mk 14:12-16, 22-26 |
Eucharist: echoing the Passover meal and Sinai covenant
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (or Corpus Christi [= “Body of Christ”]), celebrates the Eucharist’s many aspects as meal, memorial, sign of unity, and eschatological banquet. This week’s readings connect the Sinai covenant’s sacrificial offering, prefigured by the Passover meal, with Jesus’ self-offering, prefigured by the new covenant’s Eucharist meal.
First reading (Ex 24:3-8)
The first reading is from Exodus, the second book of Torah. Exodus tells the stories of Moses, Passover, freedom from Egypt’s slavery, the Ten Commandments, and the Israelites’ wilderness wanderings. At its core, Exodus proclaims Israel’s divine redemption from Egypt’s oppression and the Sinai covenant’s eternal salvation.
In today’s pericope, the author describes Moses receiving the covenant from God and ratifying the covenant with the people. First, Moses announces God’s “words and ordinances” to the people. The “words” are the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:1), and the “ordinances” are the covenant code (Ex 21:1). Next, the people accept their covenantal responsibilities (“We will do everything that the LORD has told us”). Moses then builds an altar to God, and sets up twelve standing stones to represent Israel’s twelve tribes; he designates Israelites to offer burnt sacrifices to God. Moses splashes the altar, which represents God, with sacrificed bulls’ blood. He then reads the covenant’s words and ordinances to the people. The people agree to the covenant, saying, “All that the LORD has said, we will hear and do.” Finally, Moses splashes the people with the remaining sacrificial blood, which seals the covenant.
The Lectionary editors chose this reading because it introduces the ideas of covenant, blood, and mediator.
Second reading (Heb 9:11-15)
The second reading is from the letter to the Hebrews. Based on the author’s elegant Greek and Septuagint (Greek version of Hebrew scripture) quotations, scripture scholars believe the author was an unknown, well-educated Jewish Christian writing to Jewish Christian readers, possibly in Rome, between 75 and 90 AD. Hebrews is a long theological reflection on the early Christian profession of faith that Christ died for us and our sins. The Hebrews author’s important themes are faith and faithfulness.
In today’s pericope, the author describes the efficacy of Christ’s self-sacrifice and blood. The author’s context is the Jewish “Day of Atonement” (Yom Kippur) rituals. The temple’s or tabernacle’s inner sanctuary (the Holy of Holies) contained the Ark of the Covenant. Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and he could enter only on the Day of Atonement, offering an atoning blood sacrifice for his own sins and the people’s sins, sprinkling blood on the Ark’s “mercy seat” or “place of expiation.” The author contrasts the human high priest’s ritual purification actions with Christ’s saving actions. Christ makes his saving offering in God’s heavenly dwelling (“greater and more perfect tabernacle”), not in an earthly temple (“made by hands”). Christ redeems sinners “with his own blood,” not the blood and burnt offerings (“ashes”) of goats and bulls. Arguing from lesser-to-greater effect, the author concludes that if an animal sacrifice atones (“cleanses”) for external human failings, Christ’s blood has the even greater effect of redeeming the internal human spirit (“cleansing our consciences”) before God. The author concludes that Christ is our perfect mediator with God. Christ’s death not only redeems humans from sin (“deliverance from transgressions”), but also offers humans eternal life (“the promised eternal inheritance”).
The Lectionary editors chose this reading because it describes how Christ, as the perfect high priest, reenacts Moses’ role in ratifying the new covenant and serves as our perfect mediator.
Gospel (Mk 14:12-16, 22-26)
Mark’s gospel reading has two parts: the disciples’ Passover meal preparations and Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist.
- The Passover preparation’s meaning. Mark’s vagueness about details (How does the man with the water jar know to lead the disciples to the house? Why has the house-master already prepared a room for Jesus?) suggests that the episode is symbolic of the Eucharist mystery itself. Mark draws attention to the “feast of unleavened bread” (Mk 14:12), a celebration significant to his believing community. Mark also refers to the day when “they sacrificed the Passover lamb” (Mk 14:12) to call attention to the Eucharist’s sacrificial element. Mark’s unnamed man with the water jar parallels the unnamed woman with the alabaster ointment jar (Mk 14:3); her pouring out precious ointment anticipates Jesus’ pouring out his saving blood for many. Mark’s reechoing themes of bread, water, wine/blood, and pouring out point to the Eucharist.
- Passover becomes Eucharist. Mark describes a meal that is both Passover and Eucharist. The ritual blessing, breaking and giving bread, and giving the cup suggest the Passover meal’s opening prayers and actions. Jesus changes the Passover ritual and its words, identifying the bread as his body and the wine as his blood. He connects his blood with the covenant, with the Passover lamb whose blood saves the Israelites from death (Ex 12:13), and with the sacrificed bulls and goats whose blood ratifies the Sinai covenant. Jesus’s blood will be “shed for many,” a reference to Isaiah’s servant song (Is 53:11-12). Jesus’ self-giving will be a sacrificial death. Although Mark’s institutional narrative is surrounded by death (anointing, broken bread, poured-out wine, blood), the story also includes the promise of new life. God raises up and exalts Isaiah’s servant (Is 52:13). Jesus promises he will “drink [the fruit of the vine] new in the kingdom of God,” indicating God’s kingdom will prevail.
Summary and reflection
The readings for feast of the Body and Blood of Christ invite us to see the Eucharist as more than a Last Supper recreation. The Exodus author recounts the rituals (receiving, accepting, sacrificing, ratifying with blood) that surround the Sinai covenant’s institution. The Hebrews author traces the parallels between the human high priest’s atonement rites and Christ’s saving work, acting as perfect high priest and sacrifice. Mark shows Jesus transforming the Passover meal into a Eucharist that establishes a new covenant between God and humans, anticipates Jesus transformative death, and marks the start of God’s reign for the believing community.
In Mark, the Eucharist is about service. Jesus, always in service to others, gives his own blood as a sign of the new covenant of service and discipleship. He offers his own broken body to feed his faltering disciples. How do our words and actions affirm our discipleship covenant? How does Christ’s self-gift serve as our model and inform our own daily giving to the many who need help? How do our lives, sacrificed in service to others, reveal eucharitic meaning?
—Terence Sherlock
The Lectionary In Context 